Optical and electrical switching of cholesteric liquid crystals containing azo dye

Abstract

We propose an optically and electrically switchable cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLC) cell doped with a push–pull azo dye. When the proposed ChLC cell is exposed to UV light, it is switched from the focal-conic to isotropic state by a cholesteric-isotropic phase transition through a trans–cis photo-isomerization of push–pull azo dye molecules. With removal of UV light, the ChLC cell will rapidly relax back to its initial state without exposure to a second light source that has a longer wavelength. We confirmed that the proposed optically and electrically switchable ChLC cell can be used as a smart window that can be switched on by applying sunlight or an electric field.